Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Cream together sugar and butter until fluffy. Beat in eggs, milk and vanilla until well mixed. Stir in flour, cocoa and baking powder. Pour into greased 12-cup Bundt pan. Bake for about 1-1/2 hours. Cool in pan for 10 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely. You can serve alone, dusted with powdered sugar, with a dollop of (real!) whipped cream or with some fresh berries.

If you’re in the mood for more chocolate, this cake is worth trying even though it isn’t dairy!

I love to make quiches – It’s a great meal to have for Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner! – A slice of this quiche paired with a delicious green salad makes for the perfect light summer meal. It is a great addition to add to your 9 days menu – and as long as you keep the egg custard the same, you can substitute any vegetable for the inside.

Place the flour and the salt in the bowl of a food processor and pulse to mix. Add the chunks of butter into the flour. Pulse it, until the butter is incorporated into the flour and the mixture looks like coarse cornmeal. With the food processor running, add the water and process briefly, using pulses, just until the pastry begins to hold together in large clumps.

Turn the pastry out onto a floured work surface and gather it into a ball.

Roll out the pastry to fit a 10-1/2-inch inch pie or quiche plate. Crimp the edges, poke the bottom with a fork and place the quiche shell into the freezer for at least 30 minutes.

While the quiche is freezing, sautee your onion in the olive oil on med-high heat. Add the spices and mix well. Let the onions cook down all the way – until fully wilted and have turned a nice light brown (about 10-12 minutes). Remove the onions and in the same pan add the mushrooms. Let the mushrooms cook for about 6 minutes, with minimal stirring. Once mushrooms have cooked, add the onions back into the pan, mix together, remove from heat and set aside to reserve for later.

In a large mixing bowl start putting together your quiche custard, add the eggs, whisk well and then add the cream, and milk and whisk everything together until blended well. Then add the cheese, season a little with salt and pepper and whisk everything together to incorporate. – Set bowl aside in fridge till ready to fill your quiche.

After 30 minutes – Line the pastry with foil and pastry weights and bake in the middle of your oven until the pastry is golden around the edges, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven and remove the foil and pastry weights. Return the pastry back into the oven and bake until the bottom is golden, an additional 5 minutes.

Remove Pastry from oven and spread an even layer of your mushroom and onions on the bottom of the crust. Then add a layer of sliced tomatoes on top. Then using a ladel, spoon the custard on top of all the vegetables. Fill the quiche till the top of the shell. Add a layer of sweet chopped basil and finally sprinkle the top with some nutmeg. Carefully place quiche back into oven.

Bake in the center of the oven until the filling is golden and puffed and completely baked through – about 30 minutes. To test for doneness, shake the quiche – if it is solid with out a pool of uncooked filling in the center – it is done. Remove quiche from oven and serve.

For the last 8 years Sarah Lasry has been the heart and soul of the successful and celebrated Tastebuds Gourmet Café & Flower Shop in Howell, NJ. Sarah opened and ran Tastebuds to much critical appraise for her unique approach to delicious, kosher gourmet cooking as well as her legendary parties, original style and artistic culinary flair. In 2006 Sarah wrote the acclaimed bestselling cookbook “THE DAIRY GOURMET” which revealed all the secret recipes of Tastebuds Café. With much anticipation from her many fans and fellow foodies, Sarah’s brand new cookbook “THE AT HOME GOURMET” just hit the stores with high praise and reviews. Sarah currently resides in Lakewood, NJ where she has recently left the restaurant business to concentrate on her passion for writing cookbooks and is hard at work as the Food and Home contributing editor for Binah Magazine and www.Kosherstreet.com.

Whisk together vinegar, sugar, and salt in a small bowl until sugar is dissolved, then add oil in a slow stream, whisking until emulsified. Toss together cucumber, jicama, ginger, and dressing in a bowl until combined well, then let stand, covered and chilled, 15 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lay the fillets in a small roasting pan. Drizzle with sesame oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the pickled ginger in an even layer over the fillets. Top each with a slice of smoked salmon. Bake for 12 minutes, or until the fish is translucent pink in the center.

Line platter with arrugula. Place bowl of wasabi mayonnaise on platter. Drain tuna; pat dry. Return to medium bowl. Sprinkle with pepper; toss to coat. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tuna and sear until browned on all sides but still pink inside, about 2 minutes total. Thread 1 tuna cube onto each prepared skewer next to ginger. Arrange skewers on platter and serve.

Bring jalapeno, corn kernels (excluding ¼ cup), coconut milk, and water to a boil in a large saucepan. Reduce heat and simmer until corn is tender, about 20 minutes. Filling a blender or food processor, puree soup in batches. Season with salt and pepper and chopped mint. Chill at least 3 hours. Before serving add lime juice. Garnish each with the additional corn kernels, a dollop of tofutti sour cream and a mint sprig.

This summer salad includes spicy arugula lettuce and sweet peaches and salty pistachios. It is an interesting flavor combination that really works well on a warm day. The dressing includes a jalapeno pepper, which is spicy and can be omitted.

In a large bowl, combine the shallot, jalapeno, sugar and vinegar and let stand for 5 minutes. Whisk in the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Add the peaches, jicama and pistachios and toss well. Fold in the arugula and season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Preheat a grill to medium high. Make the dressing: Whisk the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and pepper to taste in a bowl.
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly brush the tomatoes with olive oil and roast for 18 minutes, or until soft. Set aside.
Brush the grill with olive oil.

Put the red onions, peppers and zucchini in a bowl; drizzle with olive oil and vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Brush the bread with olive oil. Grill the bread and vegetables until cooked and toasted, about 2 minutes per side for the bread and 3 minutes per side for the peppers and zucchini. Transfer to the baking sheet and let cool slightly. Store vegetables together and bread in a cool dry place until ready to serve. Just before serving, cut the onions, peppers, zucchini, and bread into bite-size pieces; transfer to the bowl. Add the tomatoes, herbs, pastrami, dressing and any juices from the baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper and toss. Serve immediately.

This recipe was adapted from the original version by Emeril Lagasse. I loved the idea of cream cheese in the crust to yield a creamer taste but had to be careful with the tofutti because it sometimes makes things taste pasty. This one works great.

Make the crust: Combine the margarine and tofutti cream cheese in a food processor and process until smooth. Add the flour, sugar and salt and process just until the mixture comes together into a ball. Scrape out the dough, shape into a disk, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Meanwhile, prepare the crumb topping: Combine the oatmeal, flour, sugar, and nuts in a small bowl and toss to combine. Add the melted margarine and stir until thoroughly incorporated. Refrigerate the topping until chilled, at least 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Working on a floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/8 inch thick and fit it into a 9- or 10-inch tart pan with a removable bottom (you can also use a springform pan). Trim the excess dough. Return the pie crust to the refrigerator for 20 minutes. Line the crust with foil, fill with pie weights or dried beans and bake until lightly golden, about 18 minutes. Remove the foil and weights and let the crust cool on a wire rack. Increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees.

Make the filling: Toss the strawberries, sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch and orange zest in a mixing bowl. Spoon the strawberry filling into the crust and spread the crumb topping evenly over the berries. Bake in the middle of the oven for 1 hour, or until the filling is bubbly and the crust and topping are golden brown. Transfer to a rack to cool to room temperature before serving.

Sometimes in the warm summer months, I serve the kids homemade popsicles and the adults this frozen spiked mocha. It is a refreshing dessert or cocktail and the base can be made up to one month in advance.

Whisk first 3 ingredients and pinch of salt in medium saucepan. Gradually whisk in 1 cup water, whisking until smooth. Cook over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves and mixture just begins to boil, whisking often, about 3 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Add 1 1/2 cups water and soymilk or coffee rich and whisk to blend. Transfer to pitcher. Pour espresso mixture into ice cube trays, filling cubes almost to top (mixture will make about 45 ice cubes). Freeze espresso mixture in trays. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 month ahead. Store espresso ice cubes in resealable plastic bag and keep frozen.

Place 6 glass coffee mugs or other glasses in freezer 15 minutes. Working in 3 batches, place 14 espresso ice cubes and 1/4 cup Kahlua or coffee flavored liqueur in a food processor. Blend until thick and smooth, about 30 seconds. Divide between 2 chilled mugs; place in freezer. Repeat 2 more times with espresso ice cubes, Kahlúa, and chilled mugs. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 hour ahead. Keep frozen.

I love making this soup; it is really more a meal than a soup, and is a great dish to make when you need something to serve for a lot of people, but don’t want to spend too much time patchke-ing. Because I am an over zealous mushroom buyer, many times I have an overflow of mushrooms that need to be used up before they go bad, so I make these wontons in advance and freeze them. These wontons are delicious in this soup, or even boiled like ravioli and paired with a simple Alfredo or tomato sauce.

In a food processor, combine 1 ½ cups sliced mushrooms, ½ cup carrots, cashews, salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Lay out one wonton wrapper; lightly go around the edges with a small amount of water. Put a small mound of the mushroom mixture in the middle, folding the wonton in half forming a triangle. Set aside.

Heat the remaining olive oil and sesame oil in the wok. Add the onions, and spices, sautéing until soft (about 4 minutes). Add ¼ cup vegetable broth to deglaze the pan. Add the mushrooms, peppers, and carrots until softened.

Pour in 1-¾ cups of vegetable broth and 6 cups of water. Let it come to a simmer and add the meat, eggplant, scallions, and wontons to the soup. Bring to a boil. Serve garnished with Chinese noodles.

For the last 8 years Sarah Lasry has been the heart and soul of the successful and celebrated Tastebuds Gourmet Café & Flower Shop in Howell, NJ. Sarah opened and ran Tastebuds to much critical appraise for her unique approach to delicious, kosher gourmet cooking as well as her legendary parties, original style and artistic culinary flair. In 2006 Sarah wrote the acclaimed bestselling cookbook “THE DAIRY GOURMET” which revealed all the secret recipes of Tastebuds Café. With much anticipation from her many fans and fellow foodies, Sarah’s brand new cookbook “THE AT HOME GOURMET” just hit the stores with high praise and reviews. Sarah currently resides in Lakewood, NJ where she has recently left the restaurant business to concentrate on her passion for writing cookbooks and is hard at work as the Food and Home contributing editor for Binah Magazine and www.Kosherstreet.com.

Melt margarine, brown sugar and maple syrup, stirring until sugar has dissolved (I use a medium-sized bowl in the microwave). Stir in the oats, flour and graham cracker crumbs. Press about 2/3 mixture into the bottom of a lightly greased 9 x 9-inch pan and cool. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Sprinkle chocolate chips over crust, then marshmallows, then remaining crust mixture. Press down slightly. Bake for about 20 minutes.

For the taste of smores served another and very trendy way, try these cupcakes.

In a large bowl, mash salmon until skin and bones are crushed and mixture is soft (don’t remove them; there is a lot of nutritional value there). Stir in remaining ingredients and mix well. In a large nonstick skillet, heat half oil over a medium-high heat. Wet your hands with cold water and shape salmon mixture into patties – you should get 12 large ones. Add patties, 6 at a time, to hot oil and cook until nicely browned – about 5 minutes per side. Repeat with remaining oil and patties. Serve warm or at room temperature with Ginger Sesame Sauce.

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Melt together butter and chocolate and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Stir in vanilla, then flour and malted milk powder. Add walnuts and crushed malted milk balls. Pour batter into lightly greased 9 x 13-inch pan. Bake for about 35 minutes.

Preheat broiler. Combine all spices and rub over fillets. Place fillets on greased broiler pan. Cover with foil and broil for about 7 minutes. Remove foil and broil an additional 5 minutes. Serve with basmati or jasmine rice.

In our home, my girls often help find new recipes that they want me to try. So you can imagine my surprise and delight, when my 8-year-old son came home with a new challah recipe to try. He got it from his friend Jake’s mom, Aviva, who got it from someone else but my son said it was the best challah in the Five Towns. Wow! I’ve tasted a lot of good challahs here so I had to give it a try…and yes, it is delicious and really cool because it is sweetened with sugar and agave syrup (you know, the natural liquid sweetener that has popped up at many local coffee houses- anyway, the supermarket and Trader Joe’s carry it and its in a glass bottle). The original recipe has a little more oil, a little more yeast, and no vanilla extract. I made a few changes and we love the results and I am getting so many compliments on it. I have included both versions.

Mix together the flour, sugar, and salt. In a separate bowl mix together the eggs, agave syrup, vanilla extract, and the oil. In a mixer fitted with a dough blade, make sure the dry ingredients are well mixed. Slowly add the egg mixture and blend well. Add the yeast/water mixture and mix until incorporated. Knead the dough for 10 minutes in the mixer.

Take out the dough and put it in a greased bowl. Cover with a delicate cloth and place in a warm spot. Let the dough rise for 45 minutes to one hour. Punch down the dough and braid it.

Let it rise for another 30 minutes. Brush gently with an egg wash (1 egg yolk mixed with 1 tablespoon water) and sprinkle with sesame and poppy seeds. Or make a sweet crumble topping and sprinkle it on top.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes or until cooked through.

This fish recipe makes a great weeknight meal or a beautiful first course. The blackened fish with the colorful mango salsa are very attractive on a white plate and the flavors are a perfect contrast of sweet and spicy.

Heat a cast-iron skillet or a large sauté pan over medium-high heat until hot.
In a shallow dish, combine the paprika, thyme, onion powder, garlic powder, salt, and red pepper.
Pour the melted butter in another shallow dish.

Dip the fish fillets in the melted margarine, then coat with the seasoning mixture. Cook the prepared fish, in batches if necessary, until the fish flakes easily with a fork, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Serve with the mango salsa.

This chicken recipe came to me from my sister but it is a recipe by Chef Todd English. Heard of him? He was awarded the National James Beard Award as Best Rising Chef and Bon Appetit awarded him Best Chef in the Northeast. Maybe what made him even more famous is that

photo: OFOM.com

People magazine photographed him as one of the 50 Most Beautiful People in 2004. This is one of the chicken recipes in his latest book. Super easy and a crowd pleaser. Gluten-free too.

Place the first five ingredients in a bowl and whisk to combine. Add the chicken, turning to coat. Cover and marinate for 20 minutes or up to 3 hours.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the chicken from the marinade and discard the marinade. Place the chicken, skin side up, in a lightly greased 13 X 9” baking dish. Bake for 30-45 minutes or until the juices run clear when pierced with a fork and the skin is golden brown and crispy. (If using chicken breasts, they may take a little longer.)

Divide chicken evenly among plates. Spoon a little of the pan juices over each piece and garnish with the cilantro. Serve immediately.

Many thanks to my friend Devorah for sharing this quinoa recipe with me. I love that she knew immediately that I would like it as it has cilantro, corn, black beans, all of which are my favorites. The original recipe came from allrecipes.com but we adapted it to our taste.
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped
3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1-1/2 cups vegetable broth or pareve chicken broth
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper or ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 cup corn kernels
1 (15 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir in the onion and garlic, and sauté until lightly browned.
Mix quinoa into the saucepan and cover with vegetable broth. Season with cumin, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 20 minutes,
Stir corn into the saucepan, and continue to simmer about 5 minutes until heated through. Mix in the black beans and cilantro.

Enjoyed this recipe for quinoa salad with black beans and corn? Try another of our quinoa salad recipes.

I met the chef who created this recipe about 7 months ago at a food show. His name is Ashley Farnell and he is an accomplished chef , caterer, and cooking instructor. We discussed at great length the pareve crème brulee situation. Basically, every recipe I had tried until then just wasn’t worth making or eating. The dairy versions were so far superior that it was not something I even tried anymore. Along came Chef Ashley. He seems to have mastered the taste and texture and its pareve. Try it and let us know what you think. And thanks Ashley for being a great friend of GKC!

Place pareve cream, vanilla extract and orange in a small pot and set over medium heat. Bring to boil, then remove from heat and cover, set aside.

Whisk egg yolks and sugar until mixture is pale and increased in volume. Slowly drizzle cream mixture into egg mixture. Strain through sieve to get rid of zest and any bits.

Pour into crème brulee moulds and place into a large roasting pan (you are making a bain marie pan). Fill the pan, 2/3 full, being careful not to get any water into the crème brulee mixture, with boiling water.

Place into the oven for 30 – 40 minutes, until the custard is set. Remove from the pan and cool to set.
SPRINKLE THE BROWN SUGAR ON TOP AND BROIL OR TORCH the tops of the crème brulee. If using a broiler, they only need about 30 seconds to 1 minutes to brown.